Geographic Pattern - Supercontinent
Many terraformed planets and moons would not have a multitude of continents like Earth, but one massive supercontinent. The best example is Mars, where the highlands are located in South, while the future oceans are located in South. On such an environment, the climate patterns will be different then those found on an Earth-Like Planet. Occurrence Supercontinents are thought to have existed on Earth during certain geological ages. Even today, if a new ice age is to come, most of Earth's continents would merge in a giant structure. If we add water, Mars would have a large ocean in North and a massive continent in South. In the same way, if we smooth the craters, Mercury would also form a large continent along the equator and two polar oceans. We don't have enough data for Jupiter's moons. Saturn's moons don't look suitable for supercontinents. Pluto and its moon Charon might be suitable for supercontinents. We don't have sufficient data for the moons of Uranus and Neptune. Venus would not host a supercontinent. The evidence we have from the Solar System shows us that supercontinents are not common and that they might cover 10 to 20% of celestial bodies. Geography There are different theoretical models: Polar continent A terraformed Mars would have a large continent in the South and a global ocean in the North. At the South Pole, ice will accumulate in large amounts and will form a much larger ice cap then we see on Earth's Antarctica. The ice cap will supply rivers with water during summer, probably causing massive floods. Given the size of the continent, temperate latitudes will experience significant periods of drought. If the planet has its axis tilted and seasons are expected, summers would be dry and hot, while winters would be cold and snowy. It is possible that some temperate regions will be deserts, transited by rivers coming from the pole. The equatorial coastline will have a wet and hot, jungle-like climate. Pangaea model The expected climate pattern is similar to the former Pangaea continent. Wet air currents coming from the ocean will bring rain only to certain areas, usually close to the coast. The central part would be a desert, extending along dry air currents in some areas as far as the coastline. Along the equator, a traveler would find equatorial forests, savannas and deserts. Temperate areas should have multiple types of climate, from wetlands to steppe. Polar climate would be rare. Barrier continent On Earth, America is a massive North-South barrier, slowing down atmospheric and oceanic currents. Without America, ocean tides and the Coriolis effect would be stronger then they are. A massive North-South barrier would slow down East - West oceanic and atmospheric currents, facilitating North - South movements. Another interesting model is an equatorial supercontinent, separating the ocean in two. For more details, see YZ Planet. More then a supercontinent It is possible that on a terraformed planet oceans cover less then 30%. Such a planet could still host an ocean in a central depression, just like Sputnik Plain on Pluto. For more details about such a planet, see Desert Planet and Shallow-Oceaned Planet. Other details On an Outer Planet, climate differences will not be so significant, because atmosphere tends to accumulate moisture and air currents tend to become slower. In case of an Inner Planet, differences will be significant. For a Small Planet, a supercontinent is not a major barrier, as air currents would have enough time to pass over. Such planets might have a smaller surface then Earth's continents. In case of a Super-Earth, a supercontinent would be huge and will have a giant desert in its core, because of its size, which can be larger then the surface of Earth. Category:Habitable Factors